User interface and method for personalized radio station creation

• US 9,098,180 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Craig, Larry Vincent, Taylor, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Amy M
• Application Number:
  US14/471,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 715/833
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

A user interface arrangement includes a user interface having a plurality of movable sliders. Each of the sliders corresponds to a respective category of infotainment content. A processor is communicatively coupled to the user interface. The processor presents each of the categories of infotainment content in proportions dependent upon positions of the sliders.

Claims

1. A vehicle user interface arrangement, comprising:

a vehicle display touch screen displaying a user interface including a plurality of movable virtual sliders, each of the sliders corresponding to a respective category of a plurality of categories of infotainment content, each of the sliders being movable in two opposite circumferential directions,

the user interface configured such that a first category may be selected in response to a touch input, and each of the sliders may be re-assigned to a respective type of a plurality of types within the selected category of infotainment content;

the user interface further configured such that a second category may be selected to be presented immediately after engine ignition regardless of which of the categories of infotainment was being presented at the last time the engine ignition was previously on; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the vehicle display touch screen, the processor being configured to present each of the categories and each of the types of infotainment content in proportions dependent upon circumferential lengths of visible portions of the sliders.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein each of the sliders may be assigned to a respective said category of infotainment content by a user touching the user interface.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a virtual touch button which causes a respective said category of the infotainment to be immediately presented to the user.

4. A method of operating a vehicle user interface, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a user interface including a plurality of movable virtual sliders on a vehicle touch screen display controlled by a processor, each of the sliders corresponding to a respective category of a plurality of categories of audio infotainment content, each of the sliders being movable in two opposite circumferential directions; and

playing each of the categories of audio infotainment content in proportions dependent upon circumferential lengths of visible portions of the sliders;

wherein the user interface is further configured such that a first category may be selected in response to a touch input, and each of the sliders may be re-assigned to a respective type of a plurality of types within the selected category of infotainment content; and

wherein the user interface is further configured such that a second category may be selected to be presented immediately after engine ignition regardless of which of the categories of infotainment was being presented at the last time the engine ignition was previously on.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the user interface includes a virtual touch button, the method comprising the further step of immediately presenting a respective said category of the infotainment to the user in response to the user touching the virtual touch button.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the sliders are coincident on a same circumference.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the sliders conjunctively span approximately between 300 degrees and 360 degrees of a circle.